Team traded up one spot in 2026 draft to select safety

A team traded up from the 12th to the 11th selection in the 2026 NFL draft to acquire an Ohio State safety. The head coach said the player ranked at the top of the team's draft board. Officials had arranged a trade with another club earlier in the draft but that deal fell through when the other side selected a different player.

Draft-day concerns The coach stated the team worried another club would move ahead of its original 12th pick. He said four prospects were under consideration and the selected player led that group. The safety had been projected by some observers as a top-10 selection. The coach noted the player remained available at the 11th spot after the team at No. 10 passed.

Player background The safety earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2023 while at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State. At Ohio State he received first-team All-America recognition twice and won the Jim Thorpe Award. The coach said the team viewed the selection as a favorable outcome given earlier projections.